New Day, New Rules
by sparksfly16
Summary: He didn't trust her anymore, which meant she couldn't trust him. As Nikita races to find all seven black boxes, Alex prepares to become a Division field agent. But both soon discover, that for every action their is an unintended consequence that follows.
1. Reality Sets In

**Author's Note:** I'm back! Haha sorry, I've always wanted to say that. Anyway as you can probably tell, I haven't made a _Nikita_ one-shot in a while, but to reiterate; I'm back! And I'm not just one-shot back, I'm back with a multi-fic. Anyway, how awesome was the last episode (2.09)? Enjoy!

_"Stood there and watched you walk away _  
_From everything we had _  
_But I still mean every word I say to you" _

_-Haunted, Taylor Swift_

* * *

**'sorry it didn't go as planned. have to go to weapons training. back later.'**

The computer beeped twice, alerting Nikita that Alex had logged off. They weren't scheduled to talk again until the next morning, which meant she was completely alone for at least the next twelve hours. Alone with her thoughts. Inhaling slowly, she found herself savoring the calmness and innocence it brought to her shaky, flustered state.

"Say hi to Michael for me," she joked sarcastically. Nikita go up and kicked open her gun case."After he's done blubbering on Percy's shoulder, that is."

It was ironic, really, she thought bitterly, that he was mad at _her. _After all, Percy had been the one who'd thrown the whole mission. And even though he knew just as much as she did, how important and personal the mission was to Michael, he still ruined it, just to take her down. Some friend you got there.

She sighed again and ran her fingers through her hair. It was times like this where she really missed Daniel. He had always been there for her, with a listening ear or truthful advice, no matter how harsh it was. _He_ would understand what she had been doing when she called the police on Michael. He'd understand that she was saving her...friend, from doing something rash. Something that would ruin his entire life.

Shaking her head, Nikita realized she had to calm down. She couldn't let this whole issue blow her entire mission. Michael was part of Division. Sure, for a second she thought maybe, just maybe, he was beginning to change, but no. It was stupid and naive to think things like that.

Michael _is _Division.

* * *

"So how was my favorite girl?" Percy smirked before knocking back another glass of alcohol.

"Excuse me?" Michael questioned, looking up from the reports he had been filing.

"Nikita," Percy stated, as if that one word explained everything in its entirety.

"Sir, I thought you called me here to update the reports on the recruits?"

"I did," the elder man rehashed. "But I need to know what, exactly, happened out there."

"You want to know who she's working with, I assume?" Michael inquired crisply.

Percy paused at his employee's unusually bitter tone, taking another sip of his drink before replying. "To be frank, I need to know if there's any chance you may have mistakenly slipped any intel to Nikita."

"Well, 'to be _frank_', I'm quite offended you really think that little of me. Division is my family; I consider it an honor to be able to protect it."

"Michael," a soft voice hushed. "We're not trying to insinuate any kind of betrayal on your part. It's just that, Nikita has become a bigger issue than we originally anticipated. Whoever her mole is, he-or she-is a lot higher up in our ranks then we thought. And since you were undeniably one of the closest people to her, we simply wish to know if her influence on you was lasting."

Michael glared at Amanda's cheery, all-knowing presence. She had most-likely been in the room the entire time, he realized angrily, turning his resent-filled eyes back on Percy. "I already proved my loyalty to you. Now, are we done here?"

* * *

"Hello?"

Nikita tensed and automatically grabbed her gun. She silently moved over to the doorway, waiting to pounce.

"Nikita? Are you here?"

She paused, but didn't lower her gun or relax her stiff position. That voice; it was too familiar.

"Owen?"


	2. Friends or Foes?

**Author's Note:** Thanks for all the story alerts and reviews! I'm glad you like the story so far. How awesome was this week's episode? It definitely gave me some new ideas for this story. Enjoy!

* * *

_One. Two. Three. Four... Forty-two. Forty-three._

Nikita folded her hands together and continued to list out in her head the multiple was this could have gone better.

1. _When Owen first came to her, she could have told him no, no, NO!_

2. _She could have played dumb when cornered in the woods; after all ignorance is bliss._

3. _She could have let Owen go all trigger-happy on Michael and his team, and then could've escaped during the crossfire._

"Do you think they'll give me a fruit bar if I ask?" Owen inquired, pausing his incessant humming. "I haven't eaten in like a day."

But, she had to admit, option one sounded the most appealing. "I don't know," Nikita answered sarcastically. "Let me try to remember if I got one the last time I was hand-cuffed in a CIA airplane."

"It couldn't hurt to ask," he grumbled childishly, trying to cross his arms.

She glowered at his silhouette, hoping Owen realized how lucky he was that he still had the black box, and that she was being restrained from committing any act of violence.

"Alright you two," an agent strolled over to them. "We have to call this in back at base, and in order to do that, I need to know just exactly who you are."

Nikita shifted in her seat to face the agent more directly, while Owen merely raised his eyebrows. Neither spoke a word.

"No?" The agent smirked mischievously at Nikita. "No one feels like talking? Personally, I love talking. It's a great way to get to know each other, and there's something about it that's so...freeing."

"Can I get a fruit bar?" Owen demanded loudly. "My people consider it an honorable food; one that should be eaten at least once a day."

The agent blinked in confusion. "Your people?"

"Yes," Owen nodded his head enthusiastically. "We are from the planet Windosha. You see, it was our mission-nay, our _duty_-to capture Mr. Fletcher and take him back to our home."

The agent looked bewildered at this peculiar revelation, but then noticed the small grin playing on Owen's face. "Alright funny guy, you two call me over when you're ready to tell the truth. Only the truth."

"Does this mean no fruit bar?" Owen called after the man as he stalked away angrily.

Nikita elbowed him, putting all her strength and resentment into it. "Could you please try to be serious?"

Owen glared at her and rubbed his freshly bruised-possibly broken-rib. "Look, while you're busy counting the number of ways this plan could have gone better, I'm trying to figure out a reasonable way to get out of here."

"Oh really?" She whispered harshly. "And what pray tell is your plan: annoy them enough, that they'll eventually just throw us off the plane?"

"Fletcher knows about," Owen paused and lowered his voice. "Division. And that means he wants to talk to us. So the less information we give to those agents, the more likely they are to send Fletcher over to question us."

Nikita frowned, mulling the idea over in her head. "It's not perfect, but I guess no plan ever is. It's actually a pretty good idea."

Owen grinned. "You don't survive in Division unless you realize there's always an escape."

Nikita's face fell instantly, all cheeriness gone from her demeanor. All she could she was Daniel; his body pitching into the river as Owen watched on. "Let's make one thing clear. You may have been considered one of the best in Percy's eyes, but this is still one-hundred percent _my_ operation. Got it, Cleaner?"

* * *

Alex flipped her hood back on and headed to her room. She wasn't sure how much longer she could take this; Jade was starting to catch on to her, and it was already getting harder and harder to play the loyal, ignorant recruit. As she turned the corner, a hand came down on her shoulder. Alex panicked and automatically reached for her attacker's face.

"Alex, calm down," a familiar voice declared. "It's me."

"Thom?" She turned around to see the friendly red-head for herself. "My gosh, I haven't seen you in so long. How've you been? How's life outside?"

Thom laughed and grabbed her hand in his. "It's...indescribable; I can't wait until you graduate out to the field. Wait until you see what's out there."

Alex smiled at his excitement. "It sounds great. But, what are you doing here?"

"I've been renting an apartment just a few blocks away from here; but I got called in for a briefing on an upcoming mission," he grinned rather shyly. "I was on my way out, when I decided to look for you."

"Well, I'm glad you're having a good time," she said, trying to act happier than she felt. "I really wish you were still here though, Jade seems altogether relentless now in her goal to take me down."

"You have to remember, she's just as confused and misunderstood as the rest of us," he asserted confidently.

"I think Jade has a lot more issues than most people here. You know, she think I'm like some double agent or something?"

"Just promise me you won't let her get to you. We both know what the consequences will be," he stated gravely.

For a second, all Alex could see was Percy smiling as she slowly lost consciousness. She swallowed thickly, "Believe me, I'll be careful."

"I should get going," Thom hugged her tightly. "Good luck, Alex."

She watched sadly, as he walked away. People like Thom only made her façade harder to wear.


	3. You're Gonna See Me

Alex rolled her eyes tiredly and paced around the barren, white room. She let out an instinctive shiver at the hidden hostility it held, masquerading around as a place of trust and friendliness. Even the flowers seemed to be drooping; as if covering their eyes from the cruelty and maliciousness they witnessed.

"Thank you for joining me, Alex," the door behind her shut quietly and the sound of footsteps echoed off the walls. "If you'd be so kind as to have a seat, we can get you back out with the other recruits as soon as possible."

Alex cautiously sat down in the chair across from Amanda, tensing as the older woman poured her a drink. "You don't expect me to drink that, do you?"

Amanda smiled and took a sip of the questionable liquid. "That's perfectly fine; all I want to do is talk."

She felt her pulse speed up; had Jade reported her? Alex tried to keep her voice even, "About what?"

"I work with every single recruit that comes in through those doors," Amanda gently placed her tea cup on the table that rested between them. "I mold them into their true-selves; help them feel good about who they are, let them realize their full potential as a human being. Each recruit is like family to me, and, for me, the proudest day of my time with them is when I get to tell them the words I'm about to tell you. Congratulations Alex, you're graduating."

"Excuse me?"

"We get about twenty new recruits every six months," Amanda recited in her usual impersonal tone. "And a fourth of them don't ever make it out into the field. But you, Alex, you have something we haven't seen in a recruit in a long time; you have a confidence in yourself like no one else here. And even in the short time you've been with us, we've all seen it. So with my firm recommendation, Percy has granted you a position on the latest op."

Alex scrunched her face up, trying to process all that she'd just heard. "What do I have to do?"

Amanda smiled proudly and handed her a single, blue folder. "Everything you need on your target is in there; Michael will fill you in on the rest," she paused and stared directly at Alex, sending every bit of emotion she felt into her gaze. "I don't need to remind you how important it is that this mission goes perfectly, right?"

* * *

Michael scowled out the medical window, knowing that Nikita was somewhere inside the building getting stabbed and struck with knifes, needles, and questions. He turned his frustrated gaze to his bloodied, injured leg and willed it to heal itself...nothing happed.

"How long until I can leave?" He asked exasperatedly for, what had to be, the twelfth time that hour.

The doctor held up Michael's x-rays to examine them more closely. "Percy sent strict orders not to let you out until you're fully healed."

Michael grunted doubtfully, and shifted his leg to a more comfortable position. He knew Percy just didn't want him to see Nikita; probably still questioning the extent of his loyalty to his former friend. "Can I at least get some more pain medicine, then?"

"Two every four hours," the doctor quoted with an apologetic smile.

..

"It was all a lie, wasn't it?" Thom accused savagely. "All the times I thought we had something; it was all just an act!"

"Thom," Alex whimpered, tears streaming down her face. "You don't understand-"

"Okay, Alex," he declared sarcastically. "Tell me, tell me more lies!"

"It's not like that!" She yelled uneasily.

"Tell me," he muttered, the gun trembling in his hands. "Did you ever feel anything for me?"

Alex stepped forward, her watery eyes shining, all fear momentarily forgotten. "The only thing I felt for you, was sorry."

..

_Boom!_

Michael sat up instantly, briefly woozy from the rapid movement. "What was that?"

"I haven't the slightest idea," the doctor shrugged, peering through the window. "You just rest; I'll go see what's going on."

Michael was prepared to argue, but a sharp pain exploded in his leg, putting all plans of leaving on hold. He didn't need to get up to know what was happening, however. After all, Nikita did have a mole on the inside; did Percy really think whoever it was would just let her hang around and be tortured until she revealed who her informer was (not that she would _ever_ give into them)?

There was more shouting in the distance and Michael rolled his shoulders and glanced out the window, catching sight of whoever was running around the empty hallway.

_Nikita..._

The two enemies froze at the sight of each other. All Nikita could see was his crimson, bandaged leg. And all Michael could see was the panicked, lost look on her face. He felt himself wanting to go help her; help her get out of this place and somewhere safe.

But then, he remembered what she had done. How close he had been to Kassim, and how she had betrayed him when he trusted her most. Michael jumped over to the phone, dialing the number to security, and as he looked up, he caught a glimpse of her crestfallen face. He knew what she was feeling. Betrayal.

..

Alex sobbed as she felt Thom slowly losing consciousness. Just a few days ago, they'd been cheerfully talking about her becoming an agent and now he was leaving her..._forever._

_"You're gonna see me."_


End file.
